


in your warmth

by hanzios



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, College, Fluff, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, college! barisi bc why not, i know nothing about harvard law school but whatever, soft barisi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:41:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22754185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanzios/pseuds/hanzios
Summary: It's finals week. Rafael Barba is worried sick about his friends passing out in libraries and fast food chains.But amidst all of the chaos, who is taking care of him?
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 65





	in your warmth

**Author's Note:**

> um................. enjoy some college! barisi, my frens

Rafael Barba was never busy. In his definition of the word, at least. Between attending his classes, studying for exams, and working 50 hours a week as an intern at a pro bono law firm, he always found the time for his personal interests (although said interests included reading, walking, drinking coffee, and doing even _more_ reading.) He doesn’t really keep track of his sleep schedule _(who does, anyway?)_ , but all he ever needed after waking up was a large dose of unsweetened caffeine and he was good to go.

If he could inject coffee into his veins, he would.

Maybe in a couple years, that would be possible. Sure would save him a lot of trouble.

Again, Rafael Barba was _never_ busy. That is, until finals week.

Harvard Law was a fun playground full of the sharpest legal minds America could offer. There was never any pressure to attend classes or anything, as long as you aced the final, then you’re good. Naturally, the rest of the school year was like a nerdy frat party for most students, attending bar reviews, doing unpaid legal work, and the like. It was, to say the least, a (mostly) tranquil time. Until the clock ‘til finals sound once more, and all the slackers who did zero work start to panic.

Rafael was a good student, he was. He rarely missed classes, and when he did, it was probably because he spent too long in the library or got too invested in a case at work. For him, finals could have very well been the SATs. Which he _crushed_ , by the way.

The problem with this dreaded hell week wasn’t himself, _per se_ ; it was his friends.

After spending their youthful days on bars and each other’s dorm rooms watching How to Get Away with Murder, Rafael’s friends turn a metaphoric switch exactly eight days before the first exam. Lucky him, he got to have front-row seats as he witnessed his smartest friends have full-on mental breakdowns at McDonald’s in the middle of the night.

“You need to go to sleep, Rita.”

Rafael slid to the seat opposite his friend, her piles of papers stacked in front of her. A half-eaten Big Mac sat atop one of her case files, its crumbs decoratively scattered around the table almost intentionally. With the crazed look on her eyes, she looked like she was in a Renaissance painting.

“ _No_ ,” she protested, scribbling messily on a piece of paper. “I need to finish studying.”

If only his friends weren’t as stubborn as he was, his job as designated mother would’ve been a hell of a lot easier. It was 4AM and he’d just gotten back from working overtime as his group’s babysitter. Rafael immediately found Rita after helping another one of his other friends at the library.

Rafael sighed, tiredness in his own eyes. “Come on. I just witnessed Peter pass out at the library. For such a small man, he sure packed a punch.” He cringed, feeling the phantom weight of Peter on his shoulder as he dragged the man to his car and took him home.

That got Rita’s attention. “He passed out?” she rose a brow, looking almost concerned. Then, she added, “You don’t happen to have his notes, do you?” She started sifting through the mess, probably acquiring a thousand paper cuts as she spoke. “I think I lost one of my –“

Rafael had already risen to his feet and walked next to her. He grabbed her arm gently and tried pulling. “Come on, you can study tomorrow.”

She glared at him as if he was insulting her honor. “ _Rafael, I really don’t need_ –“

“I still have to check on Amy–“

“– _acting worse than my own mother_ –“

“– _Fuck_ , I think Connor’s in the library, still–“

“– _having the decency to leave me alone_ –“

“ _Rita_ ,” the sternness in his voice was enough to stop her from rambling. His own tiredness was starting to swim through the coffee he’d drank that night, resurfacing into irritation and annoyance. He sighed before continuing, “You’re going to be an _amazing_ lawyer one day, _querido._ I know that. But tonight I just need you to take a break. Okay? Even just for a couple of hours.”

Rafael’s hand found its way to her shoulder gently. He felt the tenseness leaving her body beneath his palm. She gave him a glance before sighing in defeat. “ _Fine_.” Rafael didn’t hide the small smile on his face. “But it’s only for a few hours. I _really_ need to finish–“

“I know, I know,” he said with nonchalance, helping her pack up her things.

_Two down, two more to go._

+

Rafael finished rounding up his sleep-deprived friends at exactly 7:39AM, Tuesday. He’d found Connor leaning against one of the shelves of the library, brown eyes fluttering shut as his legs started to dissolve like jelly. Not really knowing which building he lived in, Rafael hauled his ass towards his own dorm room, allowing his maybe-dead friend to lie down on his bed.

Highly tired and possibly suffering from a couple of minor injuries, Rafael plopped down onto his inflatable couch and shut his eyes. He hadn’t even breathed properly yet when his phone started to vibrate. Bringing the device to his tired eyes, he read an alarm note, saying, ‘Work!’

He indulged himself in a frustrated groan, rolling his eyes before rising from his position and getting ready in the bathroom. The shower was _cold_. Rafael let out a yelp as the water attacked his bare skin. He’d tried adjusting the temperature, but to no avail. Grumbling, he continued on with the torturous shower, scrubbing himself with such speed, any Harvard sports team would be proud.

As he was brushing his teeth, he checked his e-mails. One of his professors sent a message telling him to come help her that afternoon for a special case. Rafael didn’t really need extra credit, but before he could stop himself, he’d already sent a ‘ _Yes, ma’am. I’ll be there_.’

 _Great._ The time he’s supposed to devote to studying is now going to be spent highlighting dates on his professor’s case files. Amateur legal work instead of pouring through _actual_ important documents. Sometimes he did truly hate himself.

His phone rang again as he was getting his socks on. Rafael allowed himself to groan.

_Who the hell could this be._

When he saw the caller ID, though, his mood shifted. Soft light hair, baby blue eyes and a dimpled smile stared at him through his screen, the name ‘Sonny Carisi’ in big, blocked text making his insides turn to mush. A faint smile entered his lips before he swiped to answer.

“Hello? Rafael?” _God,_ he hated that accent. But he sure missed his voice.

The law student balanced the phone between his neck and shoulder as he put on his shoes. “Of course it’s me, Carisi,” he said.

Sonny chuckled. “You know, we’ve already been on two dates. You can call me Sonny.”

Rafael remembered the name on his caller ID. He smirked. “Not a chance.”

Another string of laughter. If that man’s voice could make Rafael feel as giddy and alive as a school girl that easily, he’d never need coffee again. “Hey, you still up for tonight? I know this awesome place just ‘round Manhattan with–“

“¡ _La puta mierda!_ ”

“…Rafael?”

Rafael sighed as he rose to his feet, taking his phone in his hand. “I’m sorry, but I have to cancel. My professor wants me to help with some legal work in the afternoon, which means I have to study at night for my fina–“

“Hey, it’s fine. I get it. You’re busy.” There was no hint of malice in his tone, but Rafael didn’t feel any better.

“No. I keep cancelling our dates, and it’s my fault, and–“

“ _Raf_. It’s cool,” Sonny said. Oh, what Rafael would give to see him in person again. Between his three days in New York for Thanksgiving and the impending finals ahead of him, they never really had another opportunity hang out. That, and the fact that they’re four hours away from each other, and both perpetually busy with school.

“I promise. After finals, I’ll make it up to you.”

“Oh? How so?” He could practically _hear_ Sonny’s smirk from a hundred miles away.

Rafael started packing up his case files and loose papers into his bag, skimming over them quickly. “I don’t want to give anything away, but it involves _a wrongful termination suit filed by one Walter Marshal of Green Heights Inc.,”_ Rafael whispered seductively at the latter part of his message, earning him a roar of Staten Island laughter. “The name being an alias, of course. For confidentiality.”

Sonny was emitting such pure happiness from the phone, contagious enough for Rafael to laugh along with him. “Sounds sexy,” Sonny replied, still a little bit chuckling. “Talk to you soon?”

“I’ll be here,” Rafael said, voice soft. “Goodbye.”

“Hey, Rafa?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay?” There was a sincerity in Sonny’s tone that made Rafael shiver. “You’re not burning yourself out, are you?”

The older man thought about how he’d been awake for exactly – he checked his watch – 34 hours already. He mustered a light tone. “Don’t worry about me.”

Sonny scoffed. “You know I can’t do that.”

Something in Rafael’s chest fluttered. They’ve only known each other for six months, mostly corresponding through texts and calls, and yet here they are. It was an odd and _very_ welcome feeling, having someone care for him like that.

After the silence in which Rafael’s mind was still racing, Sonny coughed, as if realizing what he’d just said. “Uh, I’ll see you after finals, right?”

“Yeah.” Rafael said. Without thinking, he added, “I can’t wait.”

And he meant it.

+

Rafael managed to arrive at his dorm room at 9:39PM. His body was slowly giving up on him, telling him to jump onto his bed and forget about law school. _We’re all going to die soon, anyway,_ he thought bitterly as he glanced into the blanketed heaven four feet away from him. He has finally reached the point where his mind was starting to form best case scenarios if he ever _did_ go to sleep instead of studying.

_I can take the final based on stock knowledge. It’ll be easy. Except that it probably won’t be. And if I fail, I’m probably going to be kicked out of HLS. And if that happens, I’ll have to move back to the Bronx with my mother. Find something unfulfilling. Doing paperwork or sitting behind a desk or something just as boring and uninspiring. But it’ll still be okay, right? I’ll spend lunch hour with Sonny, and he can tell me about his work as a detective. He said he wanted to go to law school, so maybe I can help him with –_

Rafael snapped out of his sleep-deprived trance. _Sonny_? Why was Sonny in his alternate universe?

Dropping his stacks of papers and books on his desk, Rafael immediately started working. He began with criminal law – the branch of law he was most interested in. Something as stimulating as reading that can oil up the gears in his brain and get him going. Tax law can wait; if he had a choice, forever.

About half an hour into intense focus, his vision had started to blur. His eyelids were beginning to feel heavier by the minute, and he started having an itch for something heavily caffeinated. Semi-consciously, Rafael rose from his seat to look for instant coffee packets on his food drawer. It wasn’t as strong or as delicious as freshly-made coffee, but it would have to suffice.

_Knock, knock._

Rafael whipped his head to the door. He wasn’t expecting anyone. The Do Not Disturb sign on his door handle should’ve warded away any unwanted visitors. He waited for a few seconds, hoping the person will just go away.

_Knock, knock._

“Rafael?” A familiar voice. Accent so strong, it could only be one person.

In a split moment, Rafael was rushing to his door, undoing the safety bolts and swinging it open. And there he was, standing in front of him. All 6 feet of New York City’s finest, dressed in a Police Academy hoodie and a boyish smile that could brighten anyone’s day. Sonny’s hair was a mess atop his head, unlike the gelled light brown Rafael was accustomed to.

Sonny held up a paper bag. “Do you happen to have a microwave?”

+

After Rafael had cancelled their date that morning, Sonny had already made up his mind. He didn’t have any classes until Thursday, so this was the perfect time to pay the man a visit. Rafael had sounded sluggish that morning. Although he was trying to convince Sonny (and himself, most likely) that he was fine, Sonny _knew_ that that wasn’t the case.

He spent most of the day buying groceries and cooking a meal. After looking up online a Cuban dish he could try, he settled on some Cuban beef picadillo. He remembered Rafael mentioning it once on their first date; how it reminded him of himself as a little boy, coming home from school to the smell of beef and onions in the kitchen. Sonny smiled at the mental image.

Briefly, he wondered if he was going too far. If he was crossing a line that Rafael didn’t want to cross. But, he shrugged that away. _I’m not going as his boyfriend,_ he thought. _I’m going as a concerned friend._

Sonny never really liked anyone as much as he did with Rafael. When they’d met at a mutual friend’s party, it was love at first sight. He didn’t care how corny that sounded; it was true. Rafael was dressed pristinely. He walked and talked as if he was the best person in the room. And suddenly, all Sonny ever wanted was to see the man undone, dressed down. To _know_ him. By the end of the night, thanks to Amanda’s pep talk and a few shots of tequila, he’d gathered all of his courage to walk up to Rafael and talk to him. Confidently, he’d dodged the man’s snarky remarks and witty comments, firing some of his own. Sonny liked to think it was his natural charm that got Rafael to agree to a date, and not just because he was a good target to make fun of.

Considering they’ve been exclusively (on Sonny’s end, at least) dating for the past few months, he concluded it was the former.

Sonny left Staten Island with the family car at around 5PM, his paper bag of gifts on the passenger’s seat. He never minded car rides. As long as there was music. And as long as Rafael Barba was the destination.

When he reached the Law campus, it took him a good 20-something minutes to find Rafael’s dorm room. He vaguely recalled the man complaining about the building being too far from the nearest gym and too close to the nearest McDonald’s. Sonny snorted at the thought of the dapper-looking law student consuming chicken nuggets in the solace of the fast food branch dead at night. The dorm building stood tall at about six floors. And after doing some detective work (a.k.a. asking the students at the lobby if they knew a Rafael Barba), he reached his destination.

For a second, Sonny considered backing out and just walking away. He stood in front of the door for a moment, tight fist hanging in the air. _Maybe Rafael didn’t want to see him._

He shook his head. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s dealt with rejection. He’d have to just deal. And so, Sonny threw out any thought that crept into his brain and knocked twice.

Silence.

_Wait… is Rafael even inside?_

Sonny’s eyes dropped to the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the knob. He must be inside. He knocked again after calling out his name. A little shuffling could be heard from the other side of the door. Then locks being unlocked. He put on his best smile.

Rafael looked… bad. His soft brown hair stuck around his head like a porcupine, green eyes hollow and glassy. He was wearing a Harvard hoodie a few sizes too large for him. In that moment, he looked small and in need of a big hug. Rafael’s eyebrows knitted in confusion.

Sonny lifted his bag of goodies. “Do you happen to have a microwave?”

The other’s mouth opened to respond, but no words came.

Sonny shifted awkwardly. “Um, I cooked you some food and brought some other snacks. I didn’t mean to intrude, but, uh, I just thought –“

The top of Rafael’s head dropped into Sonny’s shoulder, his left hand holding on to the other side. Sonny’s heart sped up at the touch. He was pretty sure the older man must’ve fallen asleep like that, but Rafael whispered faintly, “ _Gracias_ ,” before pulling away and walking inside the room. Sonny followed.

He found a small table beside the microwave, where he set the bag down to take out its contents. Rafael was watching beside him, listening as Sonny began to fill the silence with his voice,

“I didn’t know what your favorite candy was, so I improvised and bought a little bit of each.” Sonny laid out the bag of Skittles, dark chocolate Hershey’s bar, and small pack of Reese’s onto the table. “Oh! I also found these coffee-flavored candy. I don’t know if they’re good, but they reminded me of you.”

Rafael let out a small huff of laughter beside him. Sonny continued.

“Here, we got some bagels for dessert, _and_ …” Sonny turned to Rafael, who was staring up at him, expression unreadable. “You know that Cuban dish you said was your favorite?”

“Beef picadillo?”

Sonny grinned. “Bingo! It’s probably not as good as your mother’s, but I tried my best.” He took out the container of the picadillo and white rice to complete the full set. When he turned to Rafael, the man was gaping at the food laid out in front of him.

“You really didn’t have to–“

“I wanted to.”

“But you came all this way–“

“On my own prerogative,” Sonny said. He peered deep into Rafael’s eyes and offered a tight-lipped smile. “You were always texting me about how worried you were about your friends and all of that. And I wondered, you were so busy taking care of everybody else, who was taking care of you?”

For the first time since that night, Rafael’s eyes shone with emotion. A ghost of a smile lingered on his lips, and before Sonny knew it, Rafael took a step towards him and enveloped him in a warm embrace. He nuzzled into Sonny’s neck, just as the taller man buried his face into the other’s hair, breathing in his scent. He wrapped his arms around Rafael’s body, holding him close, never wanting to let go.

Rafael pulled away slightly to give Sonny a kiss, his right hand tracing his jawline. He smiled, lips still brushing along Sonny’s, before untangling himself and walking towards the mini-kitchen. Rafael pulled out two bowls and transferred the beef and rice.

“I’m starving, I haven’t eaten all day,” he said in nonchalance.

Sonny’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me, you haven’t eaten _all day?_ ”

Rafael shrugged, pushing the buttons on the microwave. “I mean, I had two cups of coffee.”

“How are you even alive?”

The shorter man ripped open a bag of Skittles and popped a few into his mouth. He smirked as he chewed. “I have _you_ to feed me, don’t I?” He held out the bag, in which Sonny gladly took a few, rolling his eyes.

“Sure, I’ll drop everything for you,” Sonny joked, making Rafael chuckle.

“Of course. What would I do without you?” he retorted, teasing.

Sonny grinned, biting back, “Hopefully not much, because I can’t live without you.”

“That’s good. Because I happen to _really like you_.” The heaviness of the words cut through the atmosphere like a newly-sharpened knife. It echoed along the corners of the room, loud and clear. Sonny broke out into a warm smile as Rafael’s expression softened, as if his mind hadn’t caught up in what his mouth he had just said. It was probably just the lack of sleep, Sonny thought.

Luckily, the microwave started beeping, and Sonny was spared the embarrassment of having to look into the man’s eyes as he turned red as a tomato.

The room was filled with the delicious scent of the food, and Rafael moaned after taking a sniff. He pulled out two spoons and they ate on the bed. The two of them sat criss-cross in front of each other, the two bowls right in front of them. Sonny insisted that Rafael try the first bite, so he put a little of everything into the spoon. Sonny watched him as he took the spoonful, and relished in the sight of Rafael’s eyebrows rising in approval, nodding a little bit as he ate.

They sat like that and talked for a little while. Sonny only took one bite – the dish was damn good, alright – and nibbled at one of the bagels he’d microwaved. In those few moments, it looked like Rafael was finally full of life, a stark contrast to how he’d looked when Sonny first came in.

After they’d eaten, Sonny managed to convince Rafael to get ready for bed. It took all of his dimpled smiles and pleading eyes against Rafael’s, _dare he admit it_ , impressive persuasion skills to even get him into the bathroom. Sighing like a petulant child, Rafael let himself be locked inside to shower.

Meanwhile, Sonny took it upon himself to clean the dishes and organize the messy desk. The law student’s workspace was such an accurate representation of the man himself. Littered with mountains of papers, highlighted with blue and yellow inks; raggedy, old law books stacked disproportionately on one corner; various receipts and sticky notes pinned into the corkboard. Even some of his notes had coffee stains on the corner, his wooden desk showing signs of white water rings.

Sonny’s eyes drifted into a bright yellow sticky note that fell from one of the case files. He read:

_Reminder:_

_-Check on Rita (buy her ibuprofen?)_ _  
-Buy food (if there’s money)  
-Take documents to Prof. White (3PM!!)  
-Call ~~So~~ Carisi (tell him I’m alive)  
-Eat??? _

He smiled. It was such a small thing, but it elated him to know that Rafael was still thinking of him amidst the chaos that was finals week. Maybe this exclusively dating thing wasn’t so one-sided after all.

_Still have to convince him to call me Sonny, though._

When the desk finally looked the least bit organized, Sonny picked up a random book and lied down on the inflatable sofa. He skimmed through the pages lazily. From his angle, he saw the bathroom door open. Rafael stepped out with nothing but a towel around his waist, hair wet and sticking down his forehead. Sonny watched him grab some clothes from his drawer, hiding half of his face with the book. The man’s arms curled, looking especially inviting.

Rafael looked at him out of the corner of his eyes, and Sonny immediately hid behind the pages.

If he caught him, he didn’t say. He just continued dressing up in sweatpants and a dark green shirt. Tortuously slowly, Sonny might add. After staring at Rafael’s ass for a few seconnds, Sonny’s eyes drifted back onto the book, cheeks reddening.

“Tell me, what’s so interesting about corporate law to you?” Rafael suddenly asked, snatching the book away with a smirk on his face before returning it to his desk.

“Um, well… businesses, you know…”

“Uh-huh.” Rafael turned to him. “Hey, come to bed with me.” He threw it out so casually that Sonny gaped at him for a while. Rafael rolled his eyes. “You don’t think I’m just gonna let you sleep on my couch after you drove for four hours, right?”

Sonny rose to his feet and scooted over to the side of the bed that’s pressed to the wall. He was already barefoot and in one of Rafael’s sweatpants, comfortable. Rafael immediately followed after closing the lights, the soft bedside lamp still on. They easily settled into a relaxed position, Sonny’s chest pressed into Rafael’s back, one of his arms around the other man’s waist. He could feel Rafael breathing, their chests beating in sync.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, he felt movement in front of him. He saw Rafael reach out for a book from his bedside drawer, opening it slightly. Sonny sighed into the back of Rafael’s neck, reaching over to grab the thing away.

“ _Hey,_ ” Rafael scolded weakly.

“Go to sleep,” Sonny whispered. He propped himself up on one of his elbows and shoved the book into the bedside table. “You’re tired.”

“M’not.” Rafael yawned, rolling over to his back.

“See? How long have you been awake?”

“I… don’t know.”

“I rest my case.” Sonny gave him a sly smile.

Rafael’s green eyes was staring up at him tiredly. Any moment now, he could fall asleep. He just needed a little push. He was stubborn, alright, but Sonny wasn’t one to back away without a fight. “I’m not tired. I can sleep tomorrow,” Rafael said.

“Raf, I need you to not die, okay? I must admit, I kind of like having you alive,” Sonny teased. Rafael gave him a small smile, eyes staring to flutter shut. His hand reached up to pull Sonny down, kissing him softly on the lips.

He rolled over to his side, dropping head into Sonny’s chest, the both of them settling into that position. Rafael whispered, so low Sonny wasn’t even sure he’d heard it, “I kind of really like you, too, Sonny.”

A warm feeling crept inside Sonny’s ribcage, and it’s not just because Rafael’s head was pressed in his chest. Sonny held the man in his arms, rubbing his back slowly for good measure. He wasn’t used to sleeping with someone huddled so close into his body, but he could _definitely_ get used to this.


End file.
